ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. charge — in control
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. kid — child
  6. spell — magic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tear — to rip
  12. vault — a safe
  13. charge — a price
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. kid — to tease
  20. tear — from crying
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spell — a short time
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com